Advice for a newbie

mastiffluvr · Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Hello I am nearing my second semester of my Radiography program. I have major issues to overcome. I obsess over everything and forget some of the other details. I have been to 3 clinical sites so far. Today happens to be a very bad day and am doubting myself.Everytime a new tech comes in the room with me ...its like I just entered hell. I completely forget what I am doing. Has this happened to anyone?When do you start to feel more confident. I just dont know what these sites expect of people. Just because you comp something do they expect you not to make mistakes? How do you overcome this/ Everyone says oh you will be fine, and I always get complimented on my pt care. I hate to have to expose a pt twice for something I could have prevented. Are all these feelings normal have people just cried when they got home and felt so terrible?

lmh47 · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 18 Location: jacksonville fl

I started 3 days ago and luckly its a hospital based program and so we do clinicals more than class. In these three days, i have already taken in alot of info. My rotation for two weeks is in the ER, The rad tech there has been so nice and im suppose to be just observing but i asked her if i can do anything and she has let me do alot so far. She said if im in her way, i am doing my job as a student.
I get to go with her and take the portable Xray to the trauma center and help with the xray.
Sometimes she asks me to do something and i forget what i was taught, then think and it finally comes to me and i do it.
Luckly i have a nice woman on this rotation. I am sure if i get some mean intimidating RT it will be different.

Just be open minded. Your going to mess up and your going to forget.
Thats why your a student. Just go over things in your head step by step.
I think also since you are not at the clinical site everyday that makes it hard to forget things.

you can do it!

mastiffluvr · Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Thanks for the advice. I do go to a hospital next month for 16 weeks. I start going 3 days a week vs the 2 days I go now. Your right about the more you are there. I am looking forward to being there more but also reluctant at the same time.

gulfshrimp · Joined: 21 Jun 2008 Posts: 6

I know how you feel because I was that student last semester. My best advice is to stop obsessing. You are going to make mistakes. ALOT of mistakes. When you are a tech, you will still have to do repeats. Also remember that the techs who are being hard on you were students too. I had the confidence problem and sometimes still do. You just have to take a step back and remember that you do know what you are doing. Don't doubt yourself and don't be intimidated.

The worst thing you can do is let your fear of messing up keep you from doing every x-ray you can. If you are uncomfortable with something, do it over and over. Every time you make a mistake you are learning.

Try not to take the stress home with you. I know thats hard. Right now I'm the only student at the most dreaded clinical site in my program. Everyone who's been there hated it. I do too. The techs here are extremely mean and have a reputation for making students cry. They are not encouraging at all. I just try to remember that I am there to learn and get lots of practice. I try not to let the techs get to me and just do what I need to do.

You can get through this and we are all in it together. Good luck! Wink

Lindsey · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Posts: 4

I went to my first clinical a couple days ago and was so bored. It is a small hospital and the techs there are not very helpful. They all sit around and talk to eachother and leave me out of everything. When they did try to teach me something it was so fast that I can't even remember what they taught me. They each did or did not do what the previous tech had told me to do or not to do so I am confused. I really want to learn but do not want them to feel that I am a pain so I mostly kinda kept quiet mostly because I felt like an outsider while approx 7 of them sat around and gossiped or told jokes. Some even played solitaire on the computer. Should I just interrupt them and ask them questions? How should I act at my first clinical site? Help would be greatly appreciated!!

Lindsey
_________________
Lori

Lindsey · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Posts: 4

I am sure that they all felt the same way we do..........like we aren't good enough and did we do the right thing with making this career choice. I just went for my first clinical the other day and seem so unprepared. I couldn't even remember how to do a chest x-ray. Of course we had 5 weeks off for Christmas vacation and lost a lot of what I learned. I bought a pocket guide so I hope that helps. I just try to tell myself that we all start out not knowing certain things and so we learn. But we can't please everyone all the time and shouldn't have to. We just have to make ourselves happy. I feel that you should stick with it and continue to learn all there is to know because if you stop now then you will always wonder what if you finished. Be true to yourself and do what makes you happy and about the insecurity that you are having.....my mama always says "to fake it until you make it". Hold your head high and "pretend" you have confidence. Then eventually you won't have to pretend. There is nothing worse than not having confidence and also showing that you don't because that just makes you feel even more insecure. Yes, the other day I did cry. I am not used to this but like I said we all have to start somewhere, sometime.

Lindsey · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Posts: 4

By the way,the last post from me was directed to mastiffluvr. Very Happy

Lindsey

mastiffluvr · Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Lindsey- Hang in there. I am ending that 16 week rotation from this clinical site. You are going to get so many people telling you how to do things. It is very confusing when you are learning from the school and then you get into clinic and you have 20 different ways people are telling you to do things. I just had the "light bulb" come on this semester. Once you realize what it is that you are trying to achieve in regards to your xray , it will make sense. I always just listen to everyones way of doing things but do not comment. Some of them you will try and use yourself others you will discard. Not everyone is going to be helpful and alot of times I am realizing that they often forget where they came from. If you are bothered by this , i know I always am Sad

always keep in the back of your my mind they were once in our shoes and we will be better than that. Alot of times it just takes time for them to warm up to you, but some people will always just be jerks. I try to remember I wont be there forever. Hope this helps you!

kwtechstu · Joined: 23 Feb 2008 Posts: 3

Don't be so hard on yourself. I remember my first rotation. I was so unsure of my ability and afraid to try and afraid to re-expose patients. The real thing that helped me was to stand back, realize that I am the student, not the tech, that practice and hands on would indeed make the difference, try as hard as I could, and take any instruction that was given as helpful. Some techs are helpful, some are definitely not. Break it down into simple pieces. As far as centering and being certain that you have the anatomy in the xray, think about it logically. You know what you want to have in the picture, don't worry so much about the details, they will come, that is why you still have to study. But you know what is supposed to be in the exposure, and just put that in the center of your imaging plate. Really, it does come to you with practice. Keep plugging along.